Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/430196
2015 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT P46 SHOOTOUT main things that hurt the Husky in this comparison. Suspension is another. Even though it comes fitted with ex- cellent components that are very similar to the KTM's, the Husky just didn't feel nearly as balanced or as compliant as the KTM's suspension right out of the box. Plus, the Husky's suspension seems a little more finicky to clicker changes; there isn't much wiggle room when it comes to finding the Husky's sweet spot. As a result, it re- quired more fiddling time to get things to where we were suffi- ciently happy. Otherwise, we really don't have much to complain about with the Husky. It's a good-han- dling bike that has an awesome motor, which has a broad and useful powerband. The bike is downright fast, too! There is no doubt about that, even in the standard mapping mode. Flip the adjustable mapping switch, which is conveniently located on the handlebar, to the "ag- gressive" mode and now you're playing with fire. Even our expert-level testers preferred the standard mode to the ag- gressive mode, admitting that it was probably too aggressive for most situations. Bottom-line, the Husky has a great motor; yes, it could use a bit more bot- tom-end, but that's something easy to overlook once the after- burners kick in. We also like the engagement of the Husky's diaphragm clutch (along with its hydraulic actua- tion) and the precise shifting of its five-speed gearbox. In fact, there are a lot of other things we like about the Husky, includ- ing its electric starting and out- standing Brembo brakes. Many people assume that the Husky will feel identical to the KTM 450 SX-F since they are nearly the same motorcycle, but they are definitely two different animals on the track. Yes, they do feel similar but definitely not the same. Besides suspension action and its weight, it's hard to pinpoint exactly why they feel as different as they do. Power character is slightly different as is overall handling, and this most likely has a lot to do with the Husky's polyamide rear subframe and airbox sys- tem, which are, in comparison to the KTM, not only different in material but also in design. Air intake flow is not the same, and that will influence power characteristic. And the plastic subframe flexes differently than metal, which will influence han- dling, as will its slightly heavier weight. The Husky also got high marks with our test riders for its neutral ergos, MX52 tires and outstanding looks. The Husky is arguably the coolest-looking bike of the group, and the bike is fitted with tons of quality parts. We like the Husky—a lot! But it would be even better with a little less weight and better sus- pension setup out of the crate.